Pneumonia is a leading cause of hospital admissions, despite being avoidable in many cases. On its own, pneumonia accounts for over 200,000 admissions and 2.3 million bed days each year. In combination with other lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), admissions rise to 350,000 and bed days to over 3 million.1,5

Potentially, 0.5-1% of UK adults develop community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) each year, with typically 220,000 new diagnoses. It is diagnosed in 5–12% of adults who present to GPs with LRTI symptoms. Of these, between 20-40% are admitted to hospital.3,6

Once admitted with CAP, the potential mortality rate may be 5-15%, or as high as 30% among patients requiring intensive care. This means it ranks as the sixth leading cause of death in the UK, with over 30,000 deaths annually.5,7

Old age is a particular mortality risk with more than half of pneumonia€‘related deaths occurring in people older than 84 years. The incidence of pneumonia in the 85-95 age group is double that of those aged 65-69.1,6